AFRIOCEANS WARRIORS BLOG

We walked through stands of alien gums, areas of riverine restoration, coastal fynbos, typha tunnels and finally wetland reeds as we reached the Glencairn Wetlands, Do you see why wetlands are important I asked. “Yes, because the filter out pollution, they hold back water in floods and they are a home to many different animals and plants” came the reply.

When we reached the sea we all cheered in unison. AfriOceans Warriors are awesome! We walked to the last stop, our Glencairn rainbow mural where each one of us placed their painted hand, in the 7 colours of the rainbow, on the wall to demonstrate that we are making Handprints for Ocean Action. The whole mini expedition was filmed by film and editing team of Lesley and Nina and we look forward to seeing it featured on 50/50 shortly.

To see the seniors of Glencairn endorsing the AfriOceans Warriors efforts by placing their handprints side by side with our next generation conservationists was a great milestone in our new programme and indeed, for this country SA. A big thanks to all our AfriOceans Warriors from the 4 different tribes; to GEESE, to Liesel and Mortimer from Creating Change, to our film crew for the day AfriOceans Executive Director Lesley and Film Editor Nina, to our staff Charmaine, Ishmael, Naomi and Matthew and especially to Donald Barnett who has been the inspiration in this art installation. Finally, thank you to the National Lottery Board (NLDTF) for their generous support for the 3 year AfriOceans Warriors programme and also to Highlander Hardware and the Glen Lodge for assisting with the Glencairn Community wall project. Come and see it. It is AWESOME! For more photographs on the Wetlands Day 

AfriOceans Warriors are Awesome! That’s the overwhelming response from kids taking part in our AWESOME Holiday programme continuing from our base at Glencairn and at Muizenberg Blue Flag beach. We have played games, we have held shark building competitions, we have painted over graffiti covered walls, we have taught kids the shark spotting flags, learnt about rivers & wetlands, made craft from waste. Our new AfriOceans Warriors are loving every minute of it, taking ACTION for the Oceans.

Kicking off on Saturday 12 December, the Glencairn Community project, a partnership between Artist Donald Barnett, AfriOceans and GEESE, Donald provided a workshop for local kids on how they were going to paint a giant rainbow mural on a graffiti covered wall near the Glencairn station and then draw local ocean and land animals on to it with the aim of beautifying it and uplifting the local Glencairn station area.

At Muizenberg, Terry Corr and Ishmael Sabodien have reached hundreds of youngsters, especially surfers enjoying themselves on the beach for the December holidays. We have fielded many questions about the AfriOceans Warriors, the importance of sharks, shark behaviour, food chains, and tips on being sharkwise. The aspirant AfriOceans Warriors were shocked to hear that 100 million sharks were killed every year worldwide and only 5 of us! And they were fascinated to know that there are globally over 500 different species with South Africa having over 100, only a few considered dangerous. Thanks to Ingrid Carmichael and Andrea Stoltenberg for kindly volunteering their time to help. On Tuesday, we built a huge 8m long White Shark as a sand sculpture and what a huge success it was, becoming an instant tourist attraction and was even posted on Facebook with heading ‘Huge White Shark spotted in Muizenberg’.

Back at Glencairn, Michael Carnegie & Charmaine Rochat, assisted by Matthew Tjale ran a 5 day education programme that took the kids into the Glencairn Wetlands to explore the water creatures that live there. They learnt more about Maxine the shark and her friends, met the shark spotter and learnt the flags. They explored the rock pools at low tide, where they found some fantastic starfish, sea urchins and feather worms. They made ‘craft from waste’ pots from tumbled glass collected on the beach and painted their own kelp vuvuzelas. What an awesome week and another two to follow.

On Friday, we put up our new AWESOME Gazebo and feather banners at Muizenberg and it was like a magnet for kids drawing them in to find out more. We held a fantastic shark lesson, taught the meaning of the shark flags, how to be shark wise and showed them different photographs of sharks. Then we held an awesome shark building competition and the new AfriOceans Warriors were each given an AfriOceans Warriors Certificate of participation, with the winners receiving return trips up the Cape Point funicular, courtesy of the Cape Point partnership.

Back at Glencairn on Saturday 17 December, we were part of the Glencairn Family Day and we had 21 AfriOceans Warriors artist activists to draw their creatures on their Rainbow wall. What an awesome day. The results speak for themselves and as we walked back to the fair along the rocks, I shouted Save the Sharks through the megaphone. And the reply in unison can back. We turned heads and everyone loves the effect that the AfriOceans Warriors has had on the wall. Back inside our centre, founder of AfriOceans, Lesley Rochat welcomed the new kids to the Tribe and presented the membership badges with the words ‘You are now an AfriOceans Warrior’. AWESOME! Thanks to Grete from Glen Lodge, Frankie from Highlander Hardware, Harry & Celeste from Cape Point Partnership, Marlene from Top Movies and Alex and Elizabeth Frasco for prizes and donations. We greatly appreciate all your assistance.

Using simple but effective scientific tools like nets, sampling trays and bug slides, the eager girls were introduced to scientific research techniques by collecting and identifying as many different bugs they could find on different stretches of the river and wetland areas.In the upper reaches of the rivers, the presence of key species like mayfly nymphs and stonefly nymphs indicate clean drinkable water. And the girls found lots of them, which was very exciting for them and quickly changed their minds about the state of the river.

As we moved down the river and the sampling became routine, they found a host of bugs and creatures living there in their different niches.Tallying up their results using the mini SASS method developed by Umgeni Water in KZN, they could make informed statements based on the knowledge gained through the activity and with the creativity flowing, came up with a list of water saving actions that they could take. And when they reached the ocean at Clovelly, they excitement spilt over as they waded in the shallows, happy to be free and having fun whilst learning.

To end off, each group made sand creatures of their choice and the results were spectacular! Giant sharks, mermaids and even mayfly nymphs! Whilst children are now required to spend more and more time in the classroom, we at AfriOceans believe that Outdoor educational excursions like this are critical in shaping children’s interests in learning and exposing them to interactive, learning experiences that we once took for granted. For more on AfriOceans excursions and camps visit www.aoca.org.za/excursions-and-camps.

The Two year theme for World Oceans Day is the Youth: The Next Wave of Change links directly with our AfriOceans Warriors Environmental Education programme. The AfriOceans Warriors has emerged as a unique African tribe, which aims to assist the youth of South Africa to take ownership of their natural heritage and become leaders of awareness campaigns for Africa’s oceans. Through a curriculum linked 3-year school based programme we aim to reach a total of 170 000 learners from 170 schools along the South African coast, making this the largest marine focused environmental education initiative in the country. 


What is the Importance of the AfriOceans Warriors Environmental Education Programme?

The oceans are our life support system but they, and our planet's environment in general, are in peril: global warming combined with environmental degradation, fast-dwindling natural resources, and imminent shortages of food is forcing us into a future filled with many uncertainties for our own survival. An army of conservation warriors is urgently needed to help us win the battle against human greed, ignorance and destructive ways.

Our children can be these Warriors who, with the right leadership and guidance, can influence massive, positive changes in institutional, governmental and business policies. Armed with the correct knowledge and tools these young AfriOceans Warriors will take positive action, raise awareness and help save our oceans by becoming the Voice of our Oceans.

Why Should I Celebrate World Oceans Day?
The world’s oceans generate most of the oxygen we breathe, helps feed us, regulates our climate,
cleans the water we drink, offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines and  provides limitless inspiration!

Now we can all give something back......

Celebrate World Oceans Day from today, Wednesday 8 June 2011 and help protect our ocean for the future!It’s up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. World Oceans Day allows us to:

• Change perspective – encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.
• Learn - discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
• Change our ways – we are all linked to, and through, the ocean! By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.
• Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.

Want to Help? How about tackling plastic litter on our beaches?
When plastic reaches our waters, whether it be plastic bags or drifting fish nets, it poses a threat to the animals that depend on the oceans for food. To a sea turtle, a floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish. And plastic pellets--the small hard pieces of plastic from which plastic products are made--look like fish eggs to seabirds. Research has shown that over time, these plastic pellets can concentrate toxins which are passed on to sea animals when they eat them. This could possibly cause genetic problems, poison them, and concentrate in their bodies. Once the toxins are concentrated in the tissue of one animal, they can magnify across the food chain similar to the pesticide DDT.
Drifting nets entangle birds, fish and mammals, making it difficult, if not impossible to move or eat. As our consumption of plastic mounts, so too does the danger to marine life. Plastic remains floating on the surface, the same place where many genuine food sources lie--and can remain so for 400 years. Plastic is durable and strong--precisely the qualities that make it so dangerous if it reaches the ocean.

The Solutions

• Sustainable solutions: Identifying where marine debris originates from is the key to tackling plastic pollution. The combined efforts and actions of environmental NGO’s, the public, scientists, educators, and industry and government officials are needed to address these problems.
• Effective waste management: Many communities do not have proper refuse removals, street cleansing or recycling facilities, which would divert solid waste away from the streets and drains.
• Education: Providing relevant knowledge to learners is critical and successful educational interventions should be geared towards taking responsible action by reducing and managing our waste.
• A culture of care: Marine pollution is an issue that affects us all and a culture of care and responsibility needs to spread so that future generations inherit healthy oceans. Participating in regular cleanups helps to foster a culture of community participation.


                                                      What can YOU do to help?

• Organize a beach or river cleanup where you live, or volunteer your time to help AfriOceans when we next do a cleanup in our MyBeach project.
• Cut down on the amount of plastic disposable items that you use in your home, school and business.
• Encourage others not to litter in your community.
• Contact your local authority to encourage better waste management and establishment of recycling centres.
• Set an example by reducing, reusing and recycling all your household waste.
• Become a conscious consumer: Only use cosmetics and face washes, which do not contain polyethylene, a type of microplastic, which lands up back in the oceans.
• Marine pollution is another serious concern that threatens our oceans and therefore it needs to be addressed as a matter of priority and in an integrated sustainable way.
• New ways of dealing with effluent and waste are available and efforts must be made to reduce our dependency on plastic and move to eco -friendly alternatives.
• All sectors of the community, from big business to local authorities, agriculture and the general public have a role to play in looking after our oceans.                                                                AfriOceans will not accept this situation as ‘business as usual’ and in our quest for healthy oceans and sustainability, we have launched our exciting new ocean awareness campaign, ‘Keep the oceans clean.’
• View our AfriOceans PSA here: http://www.aoca.org.za/pages/2723/keep-the-oceans-clean
  
  Through this Keep the Oceans Clean campaign, we aim to turn the tide on plastic and ocean pollution, by proactively linking to our innovative environmental education programmes, the AfriOceans Warriors who are actively involved in numerous beach cleanups. We believe that providing relevant knowledge is key to success and educational interventions should be geared towards taking responsible action by reducing and managing our waste. We need to ensure that as many caring people understand the growing problems the oceans face.
  
  We can all make a difference. It's in our hands! Please will you help us?
  Keep the Oceans Clean!